How Datsun Got Sporty: A Chat with ‘Mr. K’

Few people know Nissan like Yutaka “Mr. K” Katayama does. He joined at age 25 on April 1, 1935–just two years after the automaker was founded and a year after it took on the name Nissan. In a very real sense, Mr. K was present at the creation: he witnessed Nissan’s first Datsun roll off the assembly line just 11 days after he started work.

Having just celebrated his 103rd birthday, the founding head of Nissan’s U.S. business, who is widely credited with making Datsun a household name there, says he’s happy to hear the brand is coming back some 30 years after his life’s work was phased out.

“When the Datsun name disappeared, I was very sad. It is good to hear it’s coming back,” he said in an interview at his office in a residential neighborhood of Tokyo, surrounded by a lifetime of automotive memorabilia, including a U.S. Route 101 sign. However, he has qualms about targeting buyers at the low-end of emerging markets. “It’ll be a shame if they’re cheap cars. I had really hoped they’d make a more polished car.”

Although he retired from Nissan in 1977 and wasn’t consulted on the decision to revive the Datsun name, Mr. K holds sway in automotive circles and is revered by many who were too young to drive when he was still working. “Over the years, a lot of people have come to seek his advice and that all gets passed along,” said his son, Mitsuo Katayama. “He has a lot of disciples at Nissan in Japan– young people, who come here on a completely unofficial and voluntary basis.”

For Mr. K, the secret of Datsun’s success outside Japan stemmed from a number of initiatives. These included his drive to compete in rally racing as a way to build up the brand’s image for sportiness and increase the durability of Datsun vehicles under harsh conditions. Starting with the Australia Mobil Gas Trial of 1958, Nissan entered Datsun cars in a series of competitions from Africa to Palm Springs. “The racing helped us build cars better-suited for American roads,” he said.